Base for a display rack

ABSTRACT

A base for a display rack which may be shipped disassembled and may be readily assembled and interlocked without the use of any tools, bolts, nuts or extraneous fastening elements. Said base comprises spaced side members and a front kick-plate having means for self-interlocking with said side members, and a base shelf for self-interlocking with said side members. The rear of each side member is interlocked with spaced upright members, which uprights have means for supporting the rear of the base shelf.

Unite States Patent Marschak 51 June 13, 1972 [54] BASE FOR A DISPLAYRACK [72] Inventor: Howard J. Marschak, 865 W. North Avenue, Evanston,Ill. 60622 I [22] Filed: I Sept. 9, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 70,799

52 05.0 ..10s/1's3,10s/111 51 Int. Cl. ..A47b3/06 58 Field ofSearch......1os/11 I, 153;2n/148, 153

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,556,023 l/l97l Marschakl08/l 3,209,709 10/ 1965 Shoffner 108/ 153 X Primary Examiner-James C.Mitchell Attorney-Max R. Kraus [5 7] ABSTRACT A base for a display rackwhich may be shipped disassembled and may be readily assembled andinterlocked without the use of any tools, bolts, nuts or extraneousfastening elements. Said base comprises spaced side members and a frontkick-plate having means for self-interlocking with said side members,and a base shelf for self-interlocking with said side members. The rearof each side member is interlocked with spaced upright members, whichuprights have means for supporting the rear of the base shelf.

' 6 Clains, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUH 13 I972 HOWARD J. MARSCHAKAHy,

v 1' BASE FOR A DISPLAY RACK BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention is an improvement on the base for, forming the display rackdisclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 850,942, filed on Aug.18, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,602,159. 1 In the instant application, thekick-plate sleeves over the front flanges of the side members-of thebase and thelouvers or 'tonguesforrned in the kick-plate lock into theopenings in the front flanges. The flattened top and bottom end flangeson the kick-plate retain the front flanges of the side members and actas sway braces in the assembly. The kick-plate also has top and bottomflanges between the flattened top and bottom end flanges which serve tostiffen the kick-plate. The rear of each side member is interlocked withspaced upright members, which uprights have means for supportingthe rearof the base shelf. v

The foregoing features are an improvement. in the kickplate disclosed inmy co-pending application in that it simplities the manufacture of thekick-plate, eliminates die struck hooking parts, utilizes less material,and uses only standard stock'dies. It also provides additional supportfor the rear of the base shelf. The aforesaid features also render thestructure less vulnerable to damage in shipping and also eliminatesinadvertent disengagement when assembled. It is also cheaper to produce.V

' I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

' ,FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display stand utilizing the baseformed in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the components forming the base.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing thefront flange of the sidemember and the kick-plate prior to locking.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line4-4of. FIG. 1, showing the parts of FIG 3in a locked position.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the rear end of the'side members and the lowerend of the uprights, and l V I FIG 6 is an exploded view showingfragmentary portions of the rear of the top member or shelf of the baseand the upright with the means by which the rear of the shelf issupported.

The display rack is formed of a pair of spaced channelshaped uprights abase generally indicated at 12 having a pairof side members 14 which aredetachably interlocked with the uprights 10, a shelf 16 which forms thetop of the base and which rests on and is interlocked with the sidemembers 14, and a front kick-plate -l8 detachably secured to said sidemembers. The shelf 16 is provided with a rearwardly extending channel 20on which the back panel or pegboard 22 rests.

The uprights 10 have aside wall '11, a rear wall 13 and a front wall 15.Secured to the front wall is an L-shaped member 17 which provides alongitudinal channel 19 between it and the front wall for receiving andsupporting the opposite 'sides of the pegboard 22. A panel cap 24 fitsover the top of the back board 22 and is detachably secured to theuprights 10. The foregoing is a general description of the display rack.

The invention herein resides in the specific construction of the basemember, generally designated by the numeral 12. Each side member 14 ofthe base comprises a side wall 26, an inwardly turned top flange 28provided with spaced slots 30. The rear end of the side wall is providedwith rearwardly extending inverted L-shaped hooking members 32 whichengage the slots 3.4 in the front wall 15 of the uprights 10 to lock theside members 14 of the base to the uprights. The uprights may beprovided with additional slots 36 along the length thereof 'to which areattached additional shelves, not shown. The front of said side wall 26is inclined or slopes downwardly and inwardly from the top towards thebottom and is provided with an inwardly extending front flange 38provided with an upper slot 39 and a lower slot 40. Extending forwardlyof the front flange 38 at the top of said sidewall is a lip orprojection 42 having a forwardly sloping front edge 43.

The kick-plate 18 comprises a front wall 44 having at the top thereof aninwardly and downwardly inclined or sloping top flange 46 and at thebottom thereof an upwardly inclined or sloping bottom flange 47. Saidflanges are at an acute angle. The said inwardly extending slopingflanges 46 and 47 are bent adjacent the opposite ends to form inwardlyextending top and bottom flat end flanges 48 and 49 which aresubstantially parallel with the wall 44 of the kick-plate but are spacedtherefrom.

Adjacent each of the opposite ends of the kick-plate are a pair oflouvers or tongues 50 which are sheared and bent inwardly and are formedfrom. the wall 44. Said louvers or tongues are adapted to interlock withthe spaced openings 39 and 40 on the front flange 38 of the sidemembers, as best shown in FIG. 4; that is, the open or front end 52 ofthe louver or tongue enters the slot or opening 39 and 40 in the frontflange 38 of the side member and the inwardly extending tongue 50interlocks with the front flanges 38, and the inwardly extending endflat flanges 48 and 49 of the kick-plate sleeve over the top and bottomends of the front flange 38 and interlock therewith. The end flanges 48and 49 retain the front flanges 38 of the side members and act as bracesto prevent sway. When the kick-plate 18 is secured to the side membersl4it will be inclined inwardly from the top toward the bottom. Theflanges 46 and 47 of the kick-plate serve to stiffen the kickplate.

The shelf 16 is provided with spaced locking members which are depressedtongues 54 and said tongues are adapted to engage and interlock with theslots 30 in the top flange 28 of the side members 14. The front of thebase shelf 16 is inclined forwardly and downwardly to form a front wall56 and then is bent inwardly to form an inturned end 58. When the shelf16 of the base member is locked to the side members 14 the opposite endsof the front wall 56 willvextend over the lips or projections 42 of theside members 14, with the inturned front end 58 extending slightlyinwardly. The opposite ends 57 of the front wall 56 will be positionedadjacent the lip 42, as best seen in FIG. 1. The front wall 56 willcomplete the base, as best seen in FIG. 1.

This invention also includes the manner in which the rear end of the topmember or shelf 16 of the base is supported by the uprights 10. Asbest'seen in FIG. 6, the opposite end edges 60 of the vertical flange 62of the shelf 16 extend to the edges 16 of the shelf 16. The opposite endedges 64 of the shelf channel 20 which supports the bottom of thepegboard terminate short of the edges 60 of the rear flange 62 toprovide exposed opposite rear flanges 66 at the rear of the shelf.Formed in the front wall 15 of the uprights 10 is a projection 68 havinga top edge 69. In positioning the shelf 16 in relation to the uprights10, the exposed rear flange 66 is positioned adjacent the front wall 15of the upright and the bottom of the rear exposed flange 66 rests on thetop edge 69 of the projection 68. This supports the rear of the shelf16. The opposite ends of the channel 20, as well as the channel, will bealined with the longitudinal channels 19 of the uprights 10.

What is claimed is:

l. A base for a display rack, said base having a pair of side members,and a kick-plate at the front thereof, said side members each having aside wall and an inwardly extending front flange, said kick-pate havinga front wall and inwardly and rearwardly extending end flanges at itsopposite ends and at the top and bottom of said kick-plate substantiallyparallel with the front wall and spaced from the front wall which formssleeves to slip over and engage the inwardly extending front flanges ofsaid side members, and means onthe front wall of said kick-plate and theinwardly extending from flange of the side members cooperating tointerlock the kick-plate to said side members.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means forinterlocking the kick-plate to the side members comprises a tongue onthe front wall of the kick-plate interlocking with an opening in thefront flange of the side member.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means forinterlocking the kick-plate to the side members comprises a tongue onone and a slot on the other.

open ends of the inclined front wall.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which each of the side membersare interlocked at the rear thereof with an upright and in which theupright has means engaging the rear of the shelf for supporting the rearof the shelf.

1. A base for a display rack, said base having a pair of side members,and a kick-plate at the front thereof, said side members each having aside wall and an inwardly extending front flange, said kick-pate havinga front wall and inwardly and rearwardly extending end flanges at itsopposite ends and at the top and bottom of said kick-plate substantiallyparallel with the front wall and spaced from the front wall which formssleeves to slip over and engage the inwardly extending front flanges ofsaid side members, and means on the front wall of said kick-plate andthe inwardly extending front flange of the side members cooperating tointerlock the kick-plate to said side members.
 2. A structure as setforth in claim 1 in which the means for interlocking the kick-plate tothe side members comprises a tongue on the front wall of the kick-plateinterlocking with an opening in the front flange of the side member. 3.A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for interlockingthe kick-plate to the side members comprises a tongue on one and a sloton the other.
 4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which each ofthe side members has an inwardly extending top flange and in which ashelf is positioned on said top flanges with said shelf and top flangeshaving means for interlocking.
 5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 inwhich the shelf has a forwardly and downwardly inclined front wall andin which each of the side members has a projection which closes the openends of the inclined front wall.
 6. A structure as set forth in claim 4in which each of the side members are interlocked at the rear thereofwith an upright and in which the upright has means engaging the rear ofthe shelf for supporting the rear of the shelf.